‘Don’t fall into opposition trap’

(NST) – BARISAN Nasional leaders should not get involved in open debate as it will make them fight each other and fall into the opposition’s trap, said BN deputy chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The deputy prime minister believed that it was the opposition’s strategy to pit BN leaders against each other and discredit government agencies so as to make the people loath the BN administration.

“We have to be careful not to fight among ourselves as they (the opposition) will sit down and smile because they have achieved what they want,” he said after hosting a luncheon for Malaysian students and professionals here yesterday.

He was commenting onthe harsh words used by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz against former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad after the latter defended the programmes organised by the National Civics Bureau.

“I think the less we debate on the issue, the better, as it will help stop prejudices against us,” said Muhyiddin, who is here for a four-day working visit.

He said it would be better for BN leaders to focus on efforts to develop the country and help maintain its stability.

“Development should be our main focus, and it is useless if we are caught in a fight created by the opposition.”

Muhyiddin said the opposition would continue its effort to discredit government institutions and agencies as they had done to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the police, the royalty and the latest, the National Civics Bureau.

“I’m worried that there is an effort by the opposition to bring down all the institutions and agencies so that the people will have negative perceptions towards the government.”